Sahale Peak

The official name for this peak that we climbed today is Sahale Mountain but the name seems obsolete nowadays as most call it “Sahale Peak.” This peak is in the center of North Cascades and is famous for its mountaineering and some of the finest views Washington state has to offer.  

14.75 miles and 5500 feet of elevation gain gave us such a glorious day together. 

Anna, Jason, and I did part of this trail to Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm with Anna's friend Sarah Bell a couple of weeks ago, but we returned to go beyond where we went that day and to summit Sahale Peak with Taylor. 

a few furry friends to greet us going up the trail 

Hello Marmot

The word "sahale" is a Native American word meaning "high place." 

an embarrassment of riches 

Taylor standing in front of the peak

lunch break before the summit 

Jason going across the glacier 

Taylor helping his mama up the snow field in crampons 

At our lunch spot, we met Nathan Carter who was also planning to summit and who asked if he could join us on the way up. He worked at Beyond Malibu the last two summers, went to University of MT in Missoula and knows so many of the folks we know through the Kenya Global Project trip and the Intervarsity staff there, and also is the grandson of Marilyn and Jeff Vancil who used to be our neighbors here in the UDistrict!!! So many ridiculous connections.... We hiked with him from our lunch spot to the summit and back to the trailhead and had such a great day with him. What a small world! 

The last pitch to the top was a little "hectic" as Taylor would say, so he climbed up and set up a rope using a belay anchor he found on top to get me up there. He gets the Eagle Scout award for the trip. 

And Nathan was a godsend having been a guide on Beyond Malibu helping along the way too. 

pure joy at the top 

golden hour 

We loved our day with Nathan!! 

it really doesn't get much better than this...